The ultimate chocolate experience, a dense, moist and ultra-rich almost-flourless chocolate cake. A perfect dessert recipe for a romantic evening, serve in small slivers!
A perfect finalé for a Valentine’s feast, this chocolate cake makes up so easily and tastes so delicious, you may soon turn to it for special occasions and everyday events alike.
It was my contribution to a Sunday-afternoon hike last fall. Our group ranged from a nine-year old with dimples to my 76-year old Dad, who more than managed to keep up.
Though the sky was gray and the air brisk, the autumn leaves were at peak color, rich with russet and orange. We kept warm trekking through a park where we crossed woodland, river, prairie and marsh ecosystems in a couple of hours.
Our motto might well have been, “Eat to hike, hike to eat.” At trail’s end, we sat down to hearty split-pea soup, fresh bread with pepper-sausage, cheese and pickles, then finished with chocolate cake. We’d groaned with pleasure through the meal but the table became silent as we bit into the moist, dense chocolate cake.
As good as the recipe is as written, I wouldn’t hesitate to experiment on it a little, perhaps adding a spoonful of fruit liqueur or brandy, or maybe soaking a few dried cherries or cranberries in the liquor before folding them into the batter before baking.
When covering the cake with foil, make sure the foil can't touch the cake as it finishes baking. This column was first published in print in 2003 and published online for the first time in 2009.
CHOCOLATE DECADENCE
Time-to-finish: 65 minutes
Time-to-table: 4 hours, allowing time to cool
Serves 16 (skinny slices, it's rich)
- 10 ounces (285g) bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- 5 large eggs
- 1-1/4 cups (286g) sugar
- 5 tablespoons (48g) flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Powdered sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan with 2¾-inch sides.
Over low heat in a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well blended and beginning to thicken. Sift flour and baking powder over the eggs and fold in with a spatula. Gradually fold in chocolate mixture. Transfer batter to the prepared pan.
Bake 20 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake about another 30 minutes or until knife inserted into middle comes out with moist crumbs still attached. Remove from oven, uncover and cool. The cake will fall as it cools. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake, then release sides and transfer to a cake plate.
Sprinkle top with powdered sugar if desired, a lacey paper doilie helps form a pretty pattern! Let cool completely, then cut into thin wedges.
Serve alone or with whipped cream and/or with fresh berries.
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points 9, WW PointsPlus 11For An Elegant Dessert
Serve Chocolate Decadence Cake in small slivers with fresh raspberries on the side. And that beautiful raspberry reduction sauce? That's Raspberry-Red Wine Coulis.
Is chocolate a major food group at your house? Share a favorite recipe via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook! A Easy Romantic Menu with Room for a Rich Dessert
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© Copyright 2003 Kitchen Parade
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We have so much left over. I cut it in two pieces and put them in the freezer. Have you ever done that? I will let you know how it comes out....
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